Donkey Stories in Ireland

IDS presentation at the Mullingar Show – Sunday 10th July 2022

Presentation of the Pam Jermyn Perpetual Trophy at the Mullingar Show by Mary McAteer, President of the Irish Donkey Society to the Champion Donkey, Cross Patrick Diana, owned by the Looney family. Also shown are David and Helena Looney, the Chair of the Irish Donkey Society, Alastair Graham, and the two judges […]

Donkey Competition in West Kerry Agricultural Show – Dingle – Sunday 17th July 2022

Juliet and I were on holidays as we often do in the Dingle Peninsula. We are based in Castlegregory where my parents used to live.

On this Sunday we decided to visit West Kerry Agricultural Show in Dingle. It was a beautiful day and it was well attended with everything from competitions with all different breeds of cattle, there as a pony section and a horses section, mountain sheep and lowland sheep competitions. Added to this there were sheep dog trials and a competition on the best goat. There were also competitions for arts and crafts, cookery, art etc. etc […]

The Irish Donkey Society celebrates it’s 50th Anniversary

This year the Irish Donkey Society celebrates its 50th Anniversary. This is an amazing milestone and a wonderful achievement.

We warmly congratulate all the devoted members, past and present, who over the years have worked so hard and displayed such inspiring resilience by taking the opportunities and overcoming the obstacles to ensure the high standards and worthy objectives of the Society were always upheld and implemented.

This moral fortitude and commitment has won the admiration and affection of people from all walks of life from all parts of Ireland and beyond.

The current committee is proud to announce […]

Kilmacanogue Show (23rd July) are celebrating their 50th show this year.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary there will be NEW children’s baking and crafts, adult baking competitions and wild flower classes.  Some special Irish Draught classes including a Mare class with a €400 prize fund.

Qualifiers for All Ireland championships (donkey mare and foals, filly and colt foals and ID filly foal).  Some of the Fun/Activites are –  vintage cars on display including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, sheep shearing demos, free pony rides, Wicklow Whisk cake decorating workshop, DSPCA dog trainer demos and ask the trainer session, Wool Spinning demos from carding to spinning the wool, Kids play area, the […]

Stay Clear: Donkey Handlers in Training

April seen many of our members meeting together at Kinedale Donkeys, in Ballynahinch, Co. Down to learn from Robert Wallace the “Art of Donkey-Showing”.

With Balmoral Show to begin the showing season, over 30 individuals gathered to learn the history of the donkey in Ireland, to begin their understanding of why we show our donkeys and how judges should make their selections. The donkey was originally a beast of burden and still is in many developing countries, with this knowledge we can make informed decisions on what makes a good showing donkey.

The donkey can not only be of […]

My Life in Donkeys

Donkey Photo

Donkeys and my love for them did not start in childhood.

Summer holidays on my grandmother’s farm in Co. Cavan meant that my earliest memories from the post-World War 2 years were of pony and trap transport to the town of Virginia and to Sunday church. By 1950 the car had replaced the pony and trap and, as a result. the countryside had lost a lot of its attraction for me.

I had no awareness of donkeys whatsoever as there were none around with whom I might have become acquainted. I was always in love with horses and […]